Here at The Great Projects, we love hearing about the wonderful experiences that our volunteers have on their wildlife adventures. We chatted to Erika, one of our recent volunteers on The Great Orangutan Project, to learn more about her time in the rainforest!
Why did you decide to join The Great Orangutan Project?
I love orangutans and wanted to see some in the flesh before they became extinct. I was looking for something to do in my holidays from work and have always wanted to do an interesting volunteer project. It was helpful to attend a place where they cater for people travelling alone, as I didn’t have anyone with similar interests to drag along with me.
What activity did you most enjoy and why?
Going on the night walk with Dom through the jungle of Borneo was so much fun! We saw a few animals that we hadn’t seen before and were entertained the whole time with Dom’s sense of humour.
What was your most memorable experience with the animals at the centre?
Being so close to the beautiful orangutans was amazing. They look at you directly and seem to take it all in, reminding you of how intelligent they are.
How was your experience with the project staff and the other volunteers?
All the project staff were absolutely lovely. They all have a huge passion for animals and get to know them personally. They were very friendly and helpful for the volunteers. It’s nice to see so many enthusiastic people working towards a common goal.
There was only one other volunteer in my time there, and he was very entertaining. He was friendly and had a great attitude towards the work. I learnt so much about Scotland while in Borneo!
Did you feel that you made a real difference to the lives of the animals at the centre during your trip?
It felt good to see the animals search for the food when we gave them their morning feeds (e.g. biscuits in the water for the bears, fruit up high for the orangutans, honey up the trees for the bears). We didn’t do any large projects as there were only 2 of us as volunteers, but it was nice to see projects that other volunteers had completed as we walked around the centre.
Do you have any advice for future volunteers?
My advice would be to bring something for the down time unless you like meditation...and gum boots are a must!
Want to volunteer with orangutans? Visit The Great Orangutan Project page!
